1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adapter for connectors and particularly to an adapter for connectors that has coupling terminals of different specifications.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
Adapter for connectors is an indispensable article in international traveling. It provides basic connector conversion for electric products to allow a connector and a socket of different specifications to establish electric connection so that the electric products can get power supply. Reference patents and products are available on the market. Some of them are credited to the Applicant as briefed in the following R.O.C. patent publication No. 430166 discloses a global socket equipped with a specification-enabled fast assembly structure. It allows sockets with different insertion ports of varying countries to be coupled on a socket anchor seat which has one or more coupling ports formed thereon. Therefore a socket suitable for a specific country can be assembled quickly to connect to power supply. The socket mainly has a base bottom with metal pin connection element located thereon that has a screw hole or jack. Each metal pin connection element is coupled with two conductive brackets and a grounding bracket in the socket. The screw hole can be engaged quickly with a conductive element which has a screw thread to channel electricity into the socket. Moreover, the socket can be quickly wedged in a socket anchor seat which has an upper shell and a base that has at least one coupling port formed thereon. The base and the upper shell corresponding to the coupling port have respectively one or more clipping terminal that can be fastened to the conductive element on the bottom of the socket in an integrated manner. The clipping terminal is wedged in a plurality of anchor frame rims formed on the base. The base and the upper shell are interposed by a safety spacer. The safety spacer and each set of clipping terminal have respectively apertures corresponding to each other to be run through by the conducive elements on the bottom of the socket. By means of such a design the socket of different ports of varying countries can be wedged in each coupling port of the socket anchor seat so that the conductive element on the socket bottom can run through the apertures of the safety spacer and fastened to the clipping terminal at the base to become integrated, and power supply can be channeled to the socket to support various types of power supply connectors. The socket also has elastic chips on two sides to allow the socket to be quickly latched on each coupling port of the socket anchor seat. The design of the safety spacer can keep the energized clipping terminal from being touched when the socket is not yet coupled to provide safety protection.
R.O.C. patnet publication No. 445671 discloses a universal adapter with a fast replaceable insertion port face panel. The insertion port face panel is located on a socket or adapter that has universal insertion ports. The insertion port face panel can be configured with different insertion ports according to varying countries and can be replaced quickly to form a socket or adapter with required insertion ports. The face panel of the socket or adapter has preset insertion ports of different specifications of varying countries to receive connectors. The socket or adapter has a frame with a flange of a desired height on the periphery of the insertion ports. There is a recess zone in the frame to be coupled with the face panel of different insertion ports. The face panel has one or more elastic strut on the bottom side to be inserted into one insertion port for anchoring when it is installed in the recess. Thereby the insertion port conforming to one specification is formed. The insertion port face panel can be removed and replaced by another insertion face panel of different insertion ports to achieve fast replacement as desired. Thus the socket or adapter can be altered quickly to equip with insertion ports of a desired specification.
R.O.C. patent publication No. 456634 discloses a simple universal adapter mainly based on Germany connector specifications. The adapter has a face panel and a body that are formed in an integrated manner by injection. It has housing portions on two sides each has a universal conductive rack. In a housing portion located in the center, there is a grounding rack formed by a single clipping board. The body has at least one latching flange on the periphery of one end. A terminal board is provided that has a latch notch on the corresponding periphery. To install the terminal board, first, the latch flange of the body is inserted into the latch notch of terminal board, then the terminal board is swiveled to latch the flange on the latch notch thereby the terminal board and the body can be quickly coupled together or removed for replacement. The body has two symmetrical sides forming Germany grounding troughs each has a grounding blade. The grounding blade has one side connecting to the grounding rack. After the body is inserted into the insertion trough of a Germany socket, the grounding blade is connected to a grounding reed. The adapter can also be inserted into a socket of French specifications. The terminal board has an anchor position formed at a selected diagonal angle after it is swiveled against the insertion ports of the face panel. The conductive rack has an extension portion. After the terminal board is swiveled at the selected diagonal angle on the anchoring position, the distal end of the terminal and the extension portion of the conductive rack maintain a contact condition. Moreover, the terminal board has a grounding port corresponding to a grounding strut of the French socket that is located on one side of a grounding port formed on the adapter face panel at a skewed angle. Hence when the adapter is inserted into a French socket, the grounding strut can be inserted through the grounding port of the terminal board to be in contact with an arched contact located on one side of the corresponding grounding blade in the body to form a grounding effect. Such a design has a simpler structure and can be fabricated and assembled quickly at a lower cost. It also may serve as a general adapter and adaptable to the sockets of French and Germany specifications. The universal adapter thus formed has a simpler structure and enhanced function.
The patents set forth above allow users to alter the connector to suit the local socket specifications during international traveling to get electric power for electric products. Although the adapters provide adequate function, and can be altered instantly to suit the socket, the size has to be increased to accommodate multiple functions. This becomes a heavy burden to the users during travel. To provide multiple functions at a smaller size of adapter is a technique known in the Applicant. In addition, as the Germany and French sockets have a safety design formed in a concave trough, the present universal connector adapters have to provide a corresponding connector to mate the concave trough that cannot be shared with other insertion terminals (because of too short of the terminals). All these issues are still pending to be resolved in the industry.